1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image display device for an information processing system, and more particularly to an image display device having a display screen which is small relative to the size of the entire source image, such as one used in small-sized and inexpensive information processing systems, including a tape printing apparatus.
2. Prior Art
Conventionally, the small-sized and inexpensive information processing systems of the above-mentioned kind have been capable of processing only image data which is smaller in size than that processed by a personal computer of a general type or the like, and hence images displayed on such a display device have been small in size. However, recently, as technology has advanced, an information processing system which is small-sized and inexpensive and that is capable of processing a very large volume of image data has become available. The display device of this type of system is also required to be capable of displaying large-sized images.
The display device for the information processing system of the above-mentioned kind is limited as to the size and the number of dots available on the display screen, due to size and cost constraints. Therefore, the present assignee has proposed an image display for a tape printing apparatus, which displays the whole image by reducing the size of the original image such that the image can be easily recognized in its entirety even when a display screen which is small relative to the size of the original image is used (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 6-115224 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 7-125374, for instance).
Recently, the present assignee has further proposed a tape printing apparatus which is capable of printing various unit images (the term "unit image" is defined to denote any image of a character, a numeral, a symbol, a figure or the like) mixed with respect to orientation and/or sequence, e.g. a mixture of character string images comprised of vertical writing character images and/or horizontal writing character images arranged in the direction of the length of a tape and/or in the direction of the width thereof (see FIGS. 42A to 42G and Japanese Patent Application No. 8-92894 filed by the present assignee). In such a tape printing apparatus, it is required for the user to recognize not only the image of the whole image data but also the orientations and sequence of the character images (unit images) of portions (character strings or the like) to make sure of the intended images and their arrangement.
It is expected that as the width of a tape increases, that is, as the size of printable image data becomes larger and more diversified, the necessity of viewing the orientations and sequence of the unit images becomes more and more important. Further, this necessity presents a problem requiring a solution, not only in the case of a tape printing apparatus but also in other information processing systems which are small-sized and inexpensive, such as a small-sized stamp making apparatus in which viewing and confirmation of images is required for making a stamp having a large stamp face.